World Briefs

January 05, 2009

TENNISGasquet beats countryman Seventh-seeded Richard Gasquet of France recovered to beat countryman Marc Gicquel 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday in the first round of the Brisbane, Australia International tennis tournament. The joint ATP-WTA tournament is being played for the first time at the new Queensland Tennis Centre. In other men's matches, American Taylor Dent beat Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6 (0), 6-2 and will play Gasquet in the second round. Two other Americans failed to advance. Fourth-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden beat Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-3 and Julien Benneteau of France downed Robby Ginepri 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to a second-round match against Soderling. Among first-round women's matches, second-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-0, 6-2 and third-seeded Marion Bartoli of France beat Australian Monika Wejnert 6-1, 6-2. Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia beat China's Peng Shuai 6-4, 6-2. Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic plays her first-round match Monday night against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic while men's top seed and Ivanovic's Serb compatriot Novak Djokovic, the defending Australian Open champion, plays his first match Tuesday against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Djokovic, 21, said Sunday he spent 10 days in the Serbian mountains and two weeks preparing on court in Monaco to get ready for his Melbourne title defense. Djokovic could move ahead of Roger Federer and into the No. 2 spot in the rankings, behind Rafael Nadal, if he wins in Brisbane. Kim Clijsters' father dies Lei Clijsters, the father of tennis player Kim Clijsters and a former Belgium soccer international, died Sunday in Brussels, Belgium. He was 52. Derniere Heure newspaper in Belgium reported Clijsters died after a yearlong battle with lung cancer. He played 40 matches for Belgium's national team, participating in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups. In 1986, Belgium reached the semifinals. After retiring in 1993, Clijsters managed his daughter's tennis career until her retirement in 2007. Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open in 2005. BOXINGChamp killed in crash Trinidadian boxing champion Jisselle Salandy, one of the sport's rising young stars, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a car crash on the outskirts of the Caribbean country's capital. She was 21. Salandy died at Port-of-Spain General Hospital shortly after the dawn crash, according to Information Minister Neil Parsanlal. He said Salandy's car ran off a highway and smashed into a concrete column after she had brought a friend to Piarco International Airport. Known for her quick feet and fast hands, Salandy had easily defended her WBC, WBA and WIBA belts against the Dominican Republic's Yahaira Hernandez on Dec. 26, which pushed Salandy's professional record to 17-0. Traveling in the car with Salandy was national soccer player Tamer Watson. She was listed in critical condition Sunday at the Port-of-Spain hospital, Hunt said. OLYMPICSCosts climbing The cost for security at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is going to be much more than the $145 million originally budgeted. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, who took office in the fall of 2007, said that figure was far too low and submitted revised numbers to the federal government. An $828 million ceiling was floated by former Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who said in the fall that the budget was at least double the original figure.